Trump urges Ukraine to replace Zelensky and hold elections

US President Donald Trump urged Ukraine on Saturday to replace Volodymyr Zelensky with a new leader and said Zelensky should hold an election, telling reporters at the White House that he believed it was time for Ukraine to get a new president who would agree to end the war. Trump spoke as Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least 21 people on Saturday, including 20 in a glide bomb attack on Zaporizhzhia.france24.com+1

The remarks matter because a sitting US president is publicly pressing an allied nation to change its leadership during an active war, at a moment when Washington has eased sanctions on Russian diesel and American fuel prices are rising before the midterm elections. Trump linked the two issues directly, blaming Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries for worsening a global diesel shortage.thejournal.ie

What Trump told reporters

Trump said he had told Zelensky to do what he wanted against Russia but not to hit refineries. 'He better damn well stop,' Trump said, adding that he believed it was time for Ukraine to get a new president who would agree to end the war. Trump also said Zelensky could do whatever he wanted but could not attack refineries because the problem was a world problem.theguardian.com

Trump accused Zelensky of standing in the way of a peace deal. Speaking after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, Trump said: 'Russia would like to make a deal… but for whatever reason, Zelenskyy does not want to make a deal.' He added that Putin would like to see a settlement, strongly, and said Zelensky should have had an election since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

The dispute centres on Washington's decision to ease sanctions on Russian diesel, allowing Moscow to release more fuel onto global markets as the US faces rising energy prices. Zelenskyy described the move as a 'weak decision' and called it a gift to Putin, warning that increased Russian energy revenues would finance the war. Trump said a deal had been made with Putin to supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel.

The diesel sanctions dispute

Trump argued that Ukrainian strikes on refineries risked worsening global fuel shortages linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran. Soaring fuel costs have hit American consumers and added to wider inflation, with the squeeze felt particularly in agricultural states such as Iowa, Kansas, Texas and Ohio, where farmers depend on diesel to run machinery and transport produce. Trump's party is trying to hold on to its congressional majorities.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas criticised the easing of sanctions, saying it would help sustain Russia's war effort. 'This is not the time to ease pressure on Russia, and Europe won't,' she wrote online. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga defended Zelenskyy, saying he had the support of the Ukrainian people, who had the right to decide their country's leadership.

Britain's defence secretary Wes Streeting said Britain stands with Ukraine and with President Zelenskyy, and that Ukrainians alone should decide who leads their country. Streeting said midterms were coming up and cost of living was an issue, and that Trump was feeling pressure to ease energy prices. Gen Sir Richard Barrons warned the diesel deal would lead to more Ukrainian deaths by helping Moscow fund its war.

European leaders respond

Russian strikes across Ukraine killed at least 21 people on Saturday, including children. A glide bomb attack on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia killed 20 people, including three children, according to Ukraine's state rescue service. A drone strike in the central Dnipropetrovsk region killed an 11-year-old boy, and attacks caused widespread power cuts in Kyiv. Russia's defence ministry said it had targeted a Ukrainian military data centre.

US, Ukrainian and European officials held talks in Miami aimed at finding a way to end the war. US envoy Steve Witkoff described the discussions, involving Ukraine, Nato, the European Commission and three European countries, as 'constructive', saying they focused on de-escalating the conflict ahead of winter. The Kremlin said Trump had outlined proposals for de-escalation during his Friday call with Putin.

In a phone call with Zelenskyy on Saturday, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham restated his complete solidarity with Ukraine and pledged to strengthen sanctions against Russia, while both leaders called for an immediate energy ceasefire. Downing Street said the leaders had agreed to meet in person in the coming days, as the row over diesel sanctions and Ukraine's leadership continued.